The Strongest Onmyoji and the Shikigami With AI are Unparalleled in Another World ~ A Second Life Properly Enjoyed Using Artificial Intelligence ~ - Chapter 143

When we woke up in the morning, we had breakfast and got ready.

After Leanne arrived, everyone gathered in my room, including Alice and Lily, who weren’t going today.

“Have a good trip!”

“……Good luck. We’ll be waiting here, praying for everyone’s safety.”

Lily waved with a smile, and Alice poked her head out to say,

“Alice, get it together.”

“……I don’t want to hear that from Annie.”

That’s true.

What’s with the serious face and scolding?

“What a lively bunch… Well then, Yuuma, shall we go?”

Leanne said this, and I felt her touch on my shoulder.

Then AI-chan, Annie, and Natalia also touched Leanne.

“Good.”

“Yes. Then, let’s go.”

As Leanne said this, my vision briefly darkened, but we were quickly moved into a lush green forest.

And since there were traces of charred black marks, this was definitely the western forest where I had met the demon Sven.

“Ah, it’s cold, so cold.”

When Annie said this, she reached out her hand toward us.

Then, the chill lessened a bit.

She must have cast a spell to ease the cold.

“I appreciate it, but are you really going in that outfit?”

Leanne looked at Annie with an exasperated expression.

“Leave me alone. More importantly, if we’re going to chase the dragon, we should think of a specific route.”

“A route?”

“We’re heading west, right? Are we going to walk? Thinking about it, it seems like it would be fastest if Yuuma summoned Bee-san and we flew with Leanne.”

Well, in terms of speed, that makes sense.

“Bee-san… that one…”

Leanne made a face of distaste.

She must have recalled the bee that flew off with the princess when we saved her the other day.

“I was thinking about that too, but… it seems like that dragon reacts to me and Layla’s snake. So I don’t want to provoke it by summoning Bee-san. We wouldn’t stand a chance in an aerial battle against a dragon flying at that speed.”

Bee-san can only fly; it doesn’t have any poison.

“So, we’ll just walk steadily. That’s fine, but we’re aiming to get through this forest, right? I believe there should be a plain once we get out of the woods.”

“Is that so?”

I’m not familiar with the geography around here.

“Yes. The southern forest is vast, but this one isn’t that wide. If we make progress for a few days, we should be able to get through. There should be a town beyond that.”

I see.

If the dragon is there, we can wrap things up quickly.

“Leanne, so we’re aiming for that town first, right?”

“Yes. I think that’s a good idea too. Beyond the forest, there’s a town called Ibru, governed by Count Foal. Since Count Foal is part of my family’s faction, there shouldn’t be any issues.”

We can gather information there again.

“Alright, then let’s go with that.”

Saying this, I took out a talisman and summoned Koma-chan.

Then, Annie began to play with Koma-chan.

“Annie, let Leanne have her turn. She’s a child, you know.”

“I’m 85 years old, though…”

Leanne complained in a low voice.

“I know. Besides, I’ll be gathering materials while we walk.”

Is there much stuff you can only collect in winter?

“Are you talking about digging in the ground?”

“If I did that, we’d never get out of the forest. You don’t have to stop. Just pick the flowers growing nearby or collect fallen fruits and seeds.”

Well, that’s fine, I guess.

“Got it. Just don’t wander too far. Leanne, get on.”

“Oh, okay.”

Leanne climbed onto Koma-chan, who was bowing his head for her.

She really looks like a child.

“Alright, let’s go. AI-chan, I’m counting on you to scout. Since Lily isn’t here today, you’re the only one who can detect beasts.”

I can’t detect anything that doesn’t have magical power.

“Understood. Leave it to me.”

“Okay, let’s move.”

We started walking west.

That was exactly the direction Sven had fled.

“Yuuma, I think orcs will start appearing around here, so be careful.”

As we walked, Natalia warned us.

“Orcs were deeper in the forest, right?”

“Yeah. I don’t think there are too many, but considering the recent stampede, there might be more now.”

That’s possible.

“Natalia, Annie, don’t stray too far from me, okay?”

“Yeah.”

“I wouldn’t even if you didn’t tell me. With Koma-chan here, we’d be done for in an instant.”

Koma-chan is carrying Leanne, after all…

“Should I summon Big Spider-chan for protection? A small one.”

Big Spider-chan would have no problem dealing with orcs.

In fact, it might even keep its distance.

“I feel bad for Big Spider-chan, but I’d rather not…”

“Besides, you were the one who said you didn’t want to provoke the dragon. Big Spider-chan would definitely stir things up.”

That’s true…

Like Layla’s snake, it’s aggressive, so it’s probably best to avoid that.

We continued to walk while staying alert.

As Annie said, she was plucking flowers and picking up fallen fruits and seeds, completely unconcerned, while Natalia kept scanning the surroundings.

AI-chan had somehow summoned fox ears that were twitching, staying vigilant.

Well, it probably doesn’t mean anything, but it’s cute, so I’ll take it.

“There aren’t many monsters around…”

It was the same yesterday.

“Monsters tend to be less active in winter,” Natalia explained.

“Is that so? Do they get cold too?”

“Who knows? I don’t really understand their ecology, but they definitely decrease in number during winter. The living dead at the ruins in the east stay the same, but goblins and orcs are cut down by about half.”

Skeletons and zombies might be resistant to the cold.

After all, they’re already dead.

“It’s good that there aren’t any monsters, but it’s boring.”

“Master, shall we play shiritori?”

Shiritori, huh…

“Leanne?”

“I don’t mind, but I think it’ll end quickly.”

“AI-chan…”

Oh, it’s over.